Red Butte oil spill report: Utah lacks pipeline regulations
Authored by Christopher Smart
Source: Salt Lake Tribune
This article highlights the release of a state funded report after the Red Butte Creek oil spill in 2010. Findings relate mostly to policies at the State and Federal governments.
The failure of a Chevron pipeline that led to two massive oil spills near Red Butte Creek in 2010 caused tens of millions in environmental and property damage. The question: Can it happen again?
The answer is contained in a 29-page report released Wednesday by the nonprofit, national Pipeline Safety Trust. It was commissioned by Salt Lake City through a $50,000 federal grant.
The conclusion: No one is sure but state and federal regulators could do more to ensure pipeline safety; the oil and gas industries could be more transparent on pipeline operations and inspections; and municipalities could be more strict when zoning for pipelines and training first responders for such events.
"I would like it to be safer," said Carl Weimer, the trust's executive director and study's author. "But maybe Utah doesn't want it to be safer."
In the end, pipeline regulations and safety inspections come down to money, he said. "Somebody has to determine if it's worth it."
The report seeks to inform the public on the kinds and locations of pipelines in the Salt Lake Valley; who operates them; basic safety requirements; and records and risks posed by various pipelines.
